78 Questions to Ask Before Launching a Blog

So, you've decided to launch a blog for your business. Congratulations! Welcome to the exciting worlds of content marketing and social media - all wrapped up into one bundle of bloggy joy that will require your nurturing attention for a long time to come. It's not exactly the same as giving birth, but it's not that different either.

To help you get your head on straight (I hope it won't make your head spin too much), here is a list of 78 questions you should ask yourself (or the Powers that Be) before you launch. Some are foundational questions that will drive every other decision you make, while others are tiny details that are part of producing and managing a polished blog.

Grab a cup of coffee and a notepad. Doodle a little bit, then read through the list, capturing - if you can - the hopes, dreams, and fears you have for your blog. When you're done, please make this list your own by adding other questions in the comments section. (I have no doubt I overlooked a few key items.)Good luck & happy blog launching!

GOAL:This is definitely a foundational item. Please don't tell me that you're launching a blog because your marketing consultant said you're a loser if you don't. Blogging can be a valuable tool, but it's not a one-size-fits-all solution. That said, I believe that - in the majority of cases - a blog will enhance your Web presence. It's also a great way to get your feet wet in social media if you haven't already dived in.

So ... What is your primary goal for the blog?

To reap the bountiful SEO benefits

To build a brand community

To create an information hub

To provide support and training

To establish thought leadership

To generate additional traffic to your main Web site

AUDIENCE:This one is obviously also a foundational item. Every answer you give to the questions in the following sections should relate back to your Goal and Audience. If your goal is your destination, your audience is the compass that guides you there. Everything you do on your blog should consider the needs (and desires) of your audience along with the end result you're after. Got it? Good.

CONTENT:You can't have content marketing without content, but creating successful blog content is about more than repurposing press releases and existing sales materials. There are dozens of excellent blogs about how to write great blog content, so let's focus on the bigger picture questions:

Creation:

Will your blog have a single author or multiple authors?

Will all your authors be internal resources, or will you also outsource some of your posts?

Will that dialog extend into your other social outposts like twitter and LinkedIn?

SITE BUILD:Finally! Now you get to start building something.

Platform:

Which platform will you use - Wordpress, blogger, or a custom solution?

Which theme will you use?

Page structure and elements:

What basic page design will you use - 1, 2, or 3-column layout?

Which sidebar elements will you include - outpost links, comment summary, recent posts, most popular posts, about links, registration links, search, etc? (Hint: Think about your audience and which tools and information they will find most useful!)

What is the priority of the sidebar elements? (For instance, depending on your audience, search may be critical or it may be very low on the list of needs - place it above or below the fold accordingly.)

Where will you document your style guide? (Hint: google docs is a great place to do this - the "living" nature of those shared documents means everyone is always up-to-date with the most current version.)

How will you use and format images in posts?

Will you have pre-determined sources for imagery?

How will you handle attribution of images?

Will you include "byline bios" with each post - at the beginning or at the end?

What other elements will consistently be included in each post - any widgets (like Tweet This) or relational items (like "Related Posts")?

Distribution:

Will you offer RSS reader subscriptions?

Will you offer email feed subscriptions?

Will you offer a weekly digest?

Will you offer a custom newsletter?

PROMOTION:

Traditional:

How can you use your existing Web site to promote the new blog - primary navigation item, sidebar "banner," news section announcement, press release?

Where does it make sense to include the blog URL on existing marketing materials?

Where does it make sense to include the blog URL on trade show materials?

Are there instances where it would be appropriate to add the blog URL to certain email signatures - either personal or company-authored and mass-distributed?

Could you send a mailing (email or snail mail) to your existing database of prospects/customers to announce the launch of the blog?

Social:

Which other blogs complement yours?

How can you enter the dialog on these other blogs in a way that will eventually drive traffic to your own blog?

Which LinkedIn groups might be interested in the content on your blog?

How will you track those search terms to find relevant conversations to join? (Hint: Desktop clients like Seesmic and Tweetdeck are great for setting up automated, real-time searches.)

There you have it: 78 questions you should ask before you launch your business blog.

... of course, there is an entirely different school of blogging that says you should just wing it and let the brand, voice, content, and even goals evolve organically based on trial and error and audience feedback; but I'm a type-A, so that's not going to happen.

Do you think the strategic or organic approach work best? What questions have I left out?

Comments

Actionable advice that borders on a blueprint for an individuals content and branding strategy. Well done!

2.

Jamie Wallace
| Thu Jan 21, 2010 @ 07:40AM

@seamus - Glad you found it useful. It's only a "straw man" list, but everyone has to start somewhere, and I find that brainstorming around some basic questions is often a great jumping off point for deeper questions. Tks for taking the time to comment!

This is actually a great example of all the steps needed to start a successful blog. Great list you put together here. I might even post about it in our blog forums I think people under estimate the amount of work needed to start your blog properly.

I love how you touched everything from marketing, design, development and content. This is a great resource!

Great stuff!

4.

Jamie Wallace
| Mon Jan 25, 2010 @ 05:03AM

@bbrian017 - Thanks. I appreciate your enthusiasm. :) You're right about people underestimating the work involved. Although I hate to scare anyone off starting a blog (I think it can be a great marketing and customer loyalty tool), I hate even more to see a company or individual service provider jump in without a plan and wind up with a half-done and dying on the vine blog. Thanks again for your kind comments. Glad to "meet" you - adding your site to my list of marketing resources!

This is avery good article. I am currently involved in setting up a collaborative blog (http://voicesofthe7billion.wordpress.com/) and I have myself been considering all these questions - I just didn't realise I had been considering 78 questions all at once... it does help that I have already been blogging before so I knew about these issues before I agreed to venture into collaborative territory!!